(Washington Insider Magazine) -As the world prepares for the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) taking place in Glasgow on Oct. 31-Nov. 12, a U.K. based non-profit is warning nations about vague and inadequate promises of carbon removal.
In their report on the subject titled, “Taking Stock: A global assessment of net zero targets,” the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) warned about the deceiving nature of “net-zero pledges,” which are becoming increasingly common by both companies and governments.
In early August the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a dire warning on the climate crisis, which scientists warn is becoming irreversible without immediate action.
Experts warned that human activities have caused “irreversible” and “unprecedented” damage to Earth, and without immediate and widespread action, the world will cross the warming threshold of 1.5 C (34.7 F) in climate change in 20 years.
The COP26 has set four goals for the international organization, the first of which is to secure global net zero emissions by mid-century and keep 1.5 C degrees achievable.
The ECIU cautioned that with vague specifics about carbon removal, and “lack of clarity around offsetting” emissions, a net-zero policy leaves leeway for continued emissions as long as they are offset by carbon removals.
“Net zero commitments vary hugely in their quality,” the report found. “While 20% of existing net zero targets already meet a minimum set of robustness criteria, or ‘starting line’ as set out by the U.N. Race to Zero Campaign, this still leaves major work to be done by governments and business leaders in the months leading up to the UN climate summit in Glasgow (COP26).”
The report draws from surveys of more than 4,000 significant entities: including all nations, states, and regions in the 25 highest-emitting countries; cities with a population above 500,000; and companies in the Forbes Global 2000 list.
With specific focus on making progress ahead of the COP26 summit in November, the ECIU advised entities with net-zero pledges to alter their commitments in three ways: expand, clarify, and update them.
“The global momentum on net zero represents an exciting window through which to view decarbonization,” it noted. “However, net zero pledges will only deliver the 1.5°C global warming target if plans are robust and enacted swiftly, so that emissions fall substantially over this decade and continue towards net zero by mid-century.”